Draft attachment for railway cars



A ril 15, 1941. G. T. JOHNSON ETAL. 2 9

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed March 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 we; 55 J 53 6750572726077 d ZflzfT Vo lfe,

A ril 15, 1941. a. T. JOHNSO ETAL $233,171

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed March 18, 1938 3 Shwts$heat 2 g wuwvbom diz'Ja'knsan/ HHMZfe/ A ril 15, 1941.. G. T. JOHNSON ET AL. 9

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 18, 1938 6.717601?- HEFVZf'a Patented Apr. 15, 1941 DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS George T. Johnson and Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus, Ohio, assignors to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Original application March 18, 1938, Serial No. 196,775. Divided and this application May 1, 1939, Serial No. 271,198

4 Claims.

The present application is a division of our application Serial No. 196,775,, filed March 18,

This invention relates to improvements. in draft attachments for railway cars and the like, and more particularly to draft attachments of the type employing horizontal yokes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a draft attachment structure of this type which will effect a considerable saving in weight over the conventional riveted constructions, either in grade B steel or high tensile steel.

A further object is to supply a draft attachment of the horizontal yoke type which eliminates plates heretofore employed, and thereby not only reduces weight, but economizes on the time and cost of welding.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in z the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top planview partly in horizontal transverse section of one embodiment of the invention, the section being taken on the line |l of Fig. 2.

Fig, 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in vertical transverse section, the section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of our combined striker and cheek plates shown attached to draft sills, and with each cheek plate made in two parts to facilitate replacement in case of breakage.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the combined striker and cheek plates partly in longitudinal horizontal transverse section, the section being taken on the line E--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modification in which each cheek plate is formed of a single piece integral with the striker, each cheek plate being specially formed to reduce or prevent breakage, the section in this figure is taken on the line l--1 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the modified combined striker and cheek plate structure, partly in horizontal longitudinal section, the section being taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Before proceeding with a detail description of the invention, it may be stated that although our castings are welded to the draft sills in a manner similar to that in the application of George T. Johnson, Serial No. 193,783, filed March 3, 1938, the designs and functions of the castings are considerably different, as will be noted from the following description.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 2i designates a swivel shank coupler having a swivel butt 22 pinned to it by means of a vertical pin 23. The swivel butt coupler assembly is keyed to the horizontal yoke 24 by means of a horizontal key 25.

In bufi the draft forces go from the swivel shankcoupler through the butt 22 to a follower block N, then through the draft gear (not shown) to the yoke butt 2T, thence to the back stop or center bolster filler (not shown).

The combined striker castings and side cheek plate structures are best shown in Figs. 4 to 9 the inclusive. In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the striker casting 5B is provided with a rectangular front frame having rearwardly extending forks 5! which project rearwardly from the side walls 52 of the striker. These forks cooperate with castings 53; each of the castings 53 cooperating with. a fork to form a side cheek plate 56. In this structure, the members 53 are welded to the forks along the vertical lines 55, and the cheek plates are accommodated by slots 56 in the side walls 30 of the center sills.

In previous designs it has been desirable to make the striker and cheek castings 53 separate, due to the possibility of failure of the cheek plates along certain lines which will be referred to in connection with the description of Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, and in accordance with the present invention, the cheek plates and striker are welded to the center sills as indicated at 5'! and 8B.

The cheek plates, of course, provide slots to accommodate the horizontal keys 25 and 53.

In the striker with integral cheek plates shownin Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, Where there is a possibility of failure along the lines A--A--A and B-B-B, we have reinforced the cheek plates at the points of highest stress by making the intermediate portions and rear ends of the cheek plates of substantially circular form as indicated at Gil and 6!. The rear ends have also been reinforced by transverse ribs 62 which diverge rearwardly and merge into the Webs of the cheek plates, as well as into the marginal portions or rear substantially elliptical flanges 63 which form the walls of the horizontal slots 64 which accommodate the rear key 58.

It will be noted that both strikers in accordance with our invention are designed to flt outside the draft sills except at the top where it is necessary to tie to the sills beneath the end sill (not shown).

In both forms of the invention, as may best be seen from Fig. 3, the center sills 30 are of Z-section with top flanges extending toward one another and having abutting edges. The flanges at the lower end of the webs or walls'of the sills extend away from one another. Consequently, the top flanges of the sills and the top of the striker function to prevent the walls of the sills from moving toward one another, while the cheek plates 5|, 60 (being at the outer sides of such walls) act to prevent the walls from spreading. Of course, the welds act to keep the various parts in assembled relation, and as the welds 80 extend entirely around the marginal edges of the cheek plates, they function in connection with such cheek plates to reinforce the slotted portions of transmitted to the draft sills through the following parts in the order named; swivel shank coupler 2!, vertical pin 23, swivel butt 22, horizontal key 25, yoke 24, draft gear (not shown) follower block ll, horizontal key 58, and cheek plates 54.

Referring again to the structure shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, it may be seen that a plurality of elliptical flanges 5la extend through the vertical web 5lb of each cheek plate and form the key slots, the front end of the front flange being connected by a horizontal ribs Me to the striker 50, and the rear end of the rear flange being reinforced by diverging ribs 5 Id which extend from the rear end of the rear flange to the rear corners of the cheek plate. Thus, even though the cheek plates are relatively narrow, they have sufflcient strength to withstand the forces to which they are subjected.

While we have disclosed what we now consider to be preferred embodiments of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, we are aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a draft attachment for railway cars, draft sills of Z-section having vertical webs and top abutting flanges, a combined striker and cheek plates formed of cast metal and arrange-d at one end of said sills, the cheek plates embracing the outer surfaces of said webs and having their marginal edges welded thereto through substantially the entire length of said edges, each cheek plate for substantially its entire length being of about half the height than the web to which it is attached, said striker being in the form of an integral frame which is integral with portions of the cheek plates, the top of the striker being welded to the top flanges of the center sills, the cheek plates being provided with key slots formed by substantially elliptical flanges which extend through said webs, the webs being imperforate with the exception of the portions through which the elliptical flanges extend.

2. In a draft attachment for railway cars, draft sills of Z-section having vertical webs and top abutting flanges, a combined striker and cheek plates formed of cast metal and arranged at one end of said sills, the cheek plates embracing the outer surfaces of said webs and having their marginal edges welded thereto through substantially the entire length of said edges, each cheek plate for substantially its entire length being of not more than about half the height of the web to which it is attached, said striker being in the form of an integral frame which is integral with portions of the cheek plates, the top of the striker being welded to the top flanges of the center sills, the cheek plates being provided with key slots formed by substantially elliptical flanges which extend through said webs, the medial and rear end portions of each cheek plate being of greater height than the portions between said medial and rear end portions.

3. In a draft attachment for railway cars, draft sills of Z-section having vertical webs and top abutting flanges, a combined striker and cheek plates formed of cast metal and arranged at one end of said sills, the cheek plates embracing the outer surfaces of said webs and having their marginal edges welded thereto through substantially the entire length of said edges, each cheek plate for substantially its entire length being of not more than about half the height of the web to which it is attached, said striker being in the form of an integral frame which is integral with portions of the cheek plates, the top of the striker being welded to the top flanges of the center sills, the cheek plates being provided with key slots formed by substantially elliptical flanges which extend through said webs, the medial and rear end portions of each cheek plate being of substantially circular shape and of greater height than the portions of the cheek plate between said medial and rear end portions.

4. In a railway car, a center sill structure comprising symmetrical members of 2 section forming a sill of inverted U-section, said members having abutting flanges at the top of the sill and oppositely extending flanges at the bottom of the sill, each of said members having a vertical web between its flanges, and each web having an elongated horizontal slot extending inwardly from one end of the sill, said members at the lastmentioned end portion of the sill being imperforate with the exception of said slots, and a combined striker and cheek plates formed of cast metal and arranged at one end of said sill, the cheek plates embracing the outer surfaces of said webs and having their marginal edges welded thereto throughout substantially the entire length of said edges, each cheek plate for substantially its entire length being of about half the height of the web to which it is attached, said striker being in the form of an integral frame integral with portions of the cheek plates, the top of the striker being welded to the top flanges of the center sills by welds positioned exteriorly of the sill, the cheek plates being provided with key slots formed by substantially elliptical flanges which occupy said web slots.

GEORGE T. JOHNSON. HARRY H. WOLFE. 

